Getting the job done, New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick (1952-) was born on this day in Nashville, Tennessee. With football in his blood, his dad was a scout and assistant coach at the Naval Academy for 33 years.

He once said: "The less versatile you are, the better you have to be at what you do well."

Graduating from Wesleyan with an Economics degree, Belichick entered the NFL in 1975 as a special assistant with the Colts, then moved on to Detroit, Denver, and New York. He went 37-45 with the Cleveland Browns from 1991-1995, taking them to the playoffs once.

"Whatever success I've had it is because I've tried to understand the situation of the player," said Belichick. "I think the coach's duty is to avoid complicating matters. I also like players who have a need to achieve something, players for whom things haven't come so easily. I think that type of player tends to show much greater drive and intensity."

Called a "chalkboard genius" with a reputation for paying remarkable attention to detail, he studied every nuance of the game and possessed an ability to minimize his team's weaknesses through creative game plans.

"This is a driving job and I'm driven in it. Football season won't stop in February. That's when you start with team-building, free agency. It's more than a full-time job," he said.

Often compared to the great Vince Lombardi, in 2005 Belichick guided his New England Patriots to their third Super Bowl victory in four years. He improved his career playoff record to 10-1, surpassing Vince Lombardi for the best postseason coaching mark in NFL history.

More FOOTBALL Quotations

Get it done.